<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>5 times Danny Phantom saves the Fentons + 1 time they save him by KrazyKes (Kestrel18)</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24177940">5 times Danny Phantom saves the Fentons + 1 time they save him</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kestrel18/pseuds/KrazyKes'>KrazyKes (Kestrel18)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>You Will Be Found [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Danny Phantom</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>5+1 Things, Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood and Injury, Broken Bones, Burns, Car Accidents, Danny Fenton Needs A Hug, Electrocution, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt Danny, Hurt Jack Fenton, Hurt/Comfort, Lab fire, Major Character Injury, Not Phantom Planet Compliant (Danny Phantom), Panic Attacks, Whump, bear trap, lab accident</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 23:00:49</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>12,923</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24177940</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kestrel18/pseuds/KrazyKes</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Phantom saves Jack, Maddie and Jazz Fenton five times, usually getting hurt in the process. It's time they return the favor.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Cujo &amp; Danny Fenton, Danny Fenton &amp; Jack Fenton &amp; Maddie Fenton, Danny Fenton &amp; Jazz Fenton, Jack Fenton/Maddie Fenton, Johnny 13/Kitty (Danny Phantom)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>You Will Be Found [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1759963</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>133</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>665</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Combat Safety with Danny Phantom and Maddie Fenton</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This was supposed to be a one-shot. I just wanted to write a phic where Danny gets caught in a trap and has to call his parents while maintaining his secret. It got way out of hand, and I'm planning a sequel with Danielle, more angst, identity reveal, etc.<br/>It was supposed to be a one-shot!<br/>Also, I'm pretty sure Danny's awful sense of humor deserves a warning. I apologize to my roommates who had to hear all the potential puns and jokes in this phic.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Usually, the Box Ghost wasn’t particularly difficult to deal with, but when the Lunch Lady showed up to help him ruin Danny’s day, that attracted attention from passerby. Which would’ve been fine. Danny could stop the ghosts, and protect the people watching him at the same time. Until Maddie showed up. And she couldn’t just sit and watch and study ghosts in their natural habitat or whatever. No, she had to get involved and draw the ire of both hostile ghosts.</p><p>“Mo-Maddie! Look out!” Danny shouted. Maddie turned around quickly, looking vaguely confused at the warning, but it was enough time to dodge a metal crate flying towards her. “Go, Get out of here! I can handle them!”</p><p>“Like I would trust violent, ectoplasmic scum like you! Who knows what the three of you will do left to your devices!”</p><p>“Ow. Okay, first of all, rude. Second-” Danny was cut off and started choking when a string of sentient (?) sausages wrapped around his neck. He flailed, legs merging into a wispy tail, frantically pulling at the meat. He finally pulled it off and blasted it with an ectoblast. “Clearly, I am not with them! I’m on your side!”</p><p>Maddie’s retort was lost in the noise of battle, and Danny decided to ignore her and focus on getting the stupid Box Ghost in the stupid thermos so he could go home and do his stupid English homework. The buzz of the lipstick blaster was honestly a relief, until the electric green laser hit Danny, burning his left side and tearing his jumpsuit. He yelped and fell several feet before he righted himself.</p><p>“Maddie! Watch where you aim that! You got me!”</p><p>“I hit exactly what I meant to, you ectoplasmic abomination!”</p><p>The spirit flipped upside down to look at Maddie while uncapping the thermos and using it to capture the Box Ghost, looking surprised, offended and more than a little hurt. Its expression reminded Maddie a bit of a meme of a yellow mouse-like creature Danny had once shown her. “Again, rude. And uncalled for. I’m just trying to help.”</p><p>Before Maddie could respond, a limb made of ground meat smacked into her ribs, sending her flying. </p><p>The ghoul dived towards her. “No!” It grabbed her arm and phased them both through a wall. Once they solidified, it released her and stepped back. “Nggh. Ow.” Static skimmed along it’s clothes and it shook itself off. Maddie noticed its gloves were singed. “You know, I really hate that stupid Specter Deflector belt.” It went intangible and flew through the wall, back to the fight.</p><p>Maddie looked around. She was in a stationary store, and the lady at the counter was looking at the space the ghost disappeared through in shock. Must be new to town.<br/>
Maddie sprinted out of the building and shouldered her Fenton Bazooka and shot at the Lunch Lady. She missed, once again drawing the angry ghost’s attention. Lunch roared something about food safety, attacking Maddie again, this time with steaks.</p><p>“Don’t touch her!” The white-haired ghost snarled, pushing Maddie aside and getting zapped again. It floated between her and the other ghost. “Will you be careful!? I can’t fight her and protect you at the same time!”</p><p>“I don’t need protection from you,” she said venomously.</p><p>“Yeah, you kinda do,” it said not looking at her. Instead, it continued circling and blasting the other ghost with ectoblast after crackling, neon green ectoblast.</p><p>Maddie readied the bazooka and the teenage ghost moved behind her, presumably to avoid getting shot. Again. Maddie blasted the Lunch Lady back to the Ghost Zone before rounding on the ghost boy, who was now examining and poking the large, angry burn still oozing ectoplasm. “Give back the thermos you stole, or I will blast you so far back into the Ghost Zone, you won’t ever crawl out.”</p><p>It held up its empty hands. “Calm down! I didn’t steal it!”</p><p>“Oh yeah? Then where did you get a Fenton Thermos?”</p><p>“Ummm…I…Danny…gave it to me?” It gave her a nervous chuckle, rubbing the back of its neck. “He brought it to school just in case and gave it to me to catch ghosts. Now can I go? My side is,” Pausing dramatically it looked down at the burn and giggled. “-Killing me.” Maddie was astounded at just how committed this ghost was to acting human. It even showed a rudimentary attempt at a sense of humor and inexplicably, had protected her. She realized he was staring at her, expectantly, as if waiting for an answer.</p><p>She sighed. “Yes, you can go. But don’t think this is over. I’ve got my eye on you.”</p><p>‘Phantom’ rolled his eyes, looking more like a human teenager than the dangerous ecto-entity he truly was. “I’ll be careful. Gosh, Mom.”</p><p>Maddie blinked. “That’s…That is not what I meant. At all.” Phantom cursed. “Watch your language, young man.”</p><p>He gaped at her again. “Young man? I’m dead. For all you know, I’m older than you.”</p><p>“I seriously doubt that,” she said shortly. “You only showed up when our Ghost Portal activated.”</p><p>“Maybe I was stuck in the Ghost Zone for forever and escaped.”</p><p>“Don’t you have civilians to go corrupt?”</p><p>“Nah.” Phantom attempted to float on his back with his arms folded behind his head, like he was in a hammock. When he moved his torso and jostled the burn, he hissed, as if in pain, and put his hand over it. “Ugh, ow. Ow ow ow. I don’t corrupt or trick anyone anyone, but I should get this taken care of.”</p><p>He flew off, legs morphing into a tail. He went straight to Sam’s, calling Tucker to meet them there on the way. He’d have his veterinarian friend take a look at the burn later. Right now, he needed to vent to his friends. While Sam bandaged his side, he filled them in on the battle, with a great deal of complaining and sulking.</p><p>“-and I didn’t even get a thank you!” Danny threw his hands up in the air, wincing at the burn pulling. “She just got onto me for swearing. I wish she’d just give me a chance to prove her wrong about ghosts. She can’t be proud of Danny Fenton, but maybe she could be proud of Danny Phantom if she’d just give me a chance.’’</p><p>Meanwhile, back at FentonWorks, Maddie took thorough notes of the night’s events, mulling them over. They were inconclusive and only raised more questions. Maddie saved the computer document and shut down the computer. She would talk it over with Jack in the morning.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Road Safety Brought to you by Danny Phantom and Jazz Fenton</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hey! I'm glad ya'll are liking this so far. Thanks to everyone who's commented, given kudos, and/or bookmarked. I live for positive feedback, and it makes me smile. Sorry this is a bit late. I started my externship at a vet clinic, but I drive an hour one way to get there, and usually work four 11 hour shifts a week, so I've been so tired and busy I didn't feel like editing. This is also unbetad, so all mistakes are my own.</p><p>I've started working on a companion piece for this about Danny and his veterinarian friend. She won't be in this phic, though. The companion piece will be how they met and Danny getting actual medical care.</p><p>This update has some good character development, but it's pretty short, so I'll probably update in the next few days, even if it remains unbetad. Part three is a lot longer than both one and two. If you liked this, kudos and comments will make me run around my apartment squealing until my dog and roommates judge me.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Danny lagged slightly behind his parents and Jazz as they walked down the street, kicking a rock. He should be studying, but instead had been dragged out on a “family ghost hunt”. He was sore from getting thrown through a window last night, and while his burn from a few days ago was mostly healed, it still hurt. A lot. Thanks, Mom.</p><p>Jack and Maddie were rambling about a new anti-ghost gun. This one would paralyze the ghost, rather than cause physical harm. Jack was excitedly making plans to use it on Phantom to catch alive for study. Jazz turned around to give him a reassuring smile and mouth “You okay?”</p><p>Danny nodded but didn’t say anything.</p><p>“Ooh!” Jazz said, looking across the street. “Christina, Mandy! Wait up!” She sprinted across the street without looking. A car came around the corner and didn’t slow down.</p><p>Without a moment’s hesitation, Danny shifted into his ghost form and flew into the street. “Jazz! Watch out!”</p><p>Jack and Maddie cried out behind him as the driver slammed on the breaks and honked the horn. The car skidded. Danny stretched out his hand, grabbing her arm and turning them both intangible right as the car reached them. The car managed to stop after going through them, leaving long black skid marks on either side of the two teens.</p><p>Danny dragged her back to their frantic parents by her sleeve, not becoming tangible until they reached the sidewalk, chewing her out the whole way. “You’ve got to pay more attention, Jazz. If I wasn’t here, you would’ve been killed!” He looked on the verge of tears. “You almost died.”</p><p>“The ghost is right!” Jack scolded. He paused. “Huh. Never thought I’d say that,” he added, thoughtfully.</p><p>Jazz’s friends crossed the street, after waiting for the walk sign and ran up to her. “Jazz! Are you alright?”</p><p>“Yeah, I’m okay. Thanks, Phantom,” Jazz gave him a knowing smile. “It’s a good thing you’re around. If you hadn’t been here, because say, you were trapped in the Ghost Zone, or had been kidnapped, tortured, and dissected, I might’ve died,” she said pointedly, eyeing her parents.</p><p>Phantom visibly paled at ‘kidnapped, tortured and dissected’.</p><p>“Now, Jazzy-pants. That’s not how ghosts work-”</p><p>Phantom huffed, indignant. “Hello? Friendly neighborhood ghost right here? Have you tried, I dunno, asking me how I feel? Because, contrary to popular belief, I can feel pain.” He threw his hands up into the air, exasperated. “Not that you guys particularly care,” he muttered.</p><p>Maddie cleared her throat. “How’s your side?”</p><p>He shrugged, shifting in place. “It’s okay. It wasn’t that bad. I’ve had worse.”</p><p>Maddie looked vaguely uncomfortable. She knew where she hit him. She knew how severe it would be on a human.</p><p>“Besides, it only hurts when I do this now,” Phantom continued, pressing his fingers into his side until he winced.</p><p>“Well, then maybe you shouldn’t do that,” Maddie suggested.</p><p>“Don’t tell me how to live my life,” Phantom fired back, grinning.</p><p>“You…you’re <em>dead</em>.”</p><p>Phantom crossed his arms. “Don’t tell me how to live my death.”</p><p>“Are you serious?”</p><p>“Dead serious,” Phantom paused. He sighed and hung his head. “I can’t believe I just made that joke.”</p><p>Jazz snorted. “You’re the worst.”</p><p>“Wait, where’s Danny?” Jack asked.</p><p>“I better go,” Phantom said, disappearing.</p><p>Danny emerged from an alleyway shortly after. “Is he gone?”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Lab Safety with Jack Fenton and Danny Phantom</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Part three, as promised. This one might have some mild body horror. Danny gets exposed to Blood Blossoms, and it causes some internal damage. I don't think it's that graphic, but if you think I should add tags for body horror, gore, etc, or change the rating, please lemme know.</p>
<p>Shout out to my awesome little sister. She beta read this to check for spelling and grammar stuff. She's going to be a junior in high school this fall, and just found out today that she'll be Assistant Drum Major in marching band. She plays flute and piccolo. That has nothing to do with this phic, but I'm so proud of her and want everyone to know.</p>
<p>Comments, kudos, and bookmarks may result in side effects in the author such as squealing, laughing, smiling, faster updates, and dramatic flailing. Please don't consume this phic while operating heavy machinery, lab equipment, or hazardous chemicals. Please read responsibly.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>With Jazz touring a nearby college, Danny out with his friends, and Maddie at the store, Jack had the lab all to himself, and would for at least an hour or so. Jack was working on the ghost stun gun. He had tested it last night on the pop star ghost, and she had still been able to move, just with less coordination and fine muscle control. According to her, it also had a numbing affect. While fascinating, it wasn’t what he wanted. This meant testing new chemical combinations to get a stronger paralyzing agent. Jack suspected the key to subduing them without ruining samples lay in Blood Blossoms. Phantom had a violent and visceral fear of them, he had noticed.</p>
<p>After setting up a still to get Blood Blossom extract, Jack turned to the weapon parts on the table. Jack fiddled with a metal container intended to hold the extract, attaching it to the nozzle and tube. The gun looked a bit like a water gun, but green and silver and made of metal.</p>
<p>The water in the still bubbled and steamed. Extract dripped into a beaker for collection. Jack set the now assembled gun prototype aside and turned to the still. As he did, he knocked the Bunsen burner over, setting the Blood Blossoms and several pieces of paper ablaze. The beaker of Blood Blossom Extract had also spilled across the counter, running off the edge and dripping on the floor. It was unnatural, how the fire rapidly spread across the entire table, even with nothing to burn. Jack stumbled back, wrote it off as a lost cause and turned on the sprinkler system. A built-in emergency anti-ghost shield engulfed the room. Jack dialed 911.</p>
<p>“911, what’s your emergency?”</p>
<p>“There’s a fire. In the labs, at FentonWorks.” The fire was spreading. It already blocked the stairs. The water from the sprinklers seemed only to aggravate the flames, causing more sparks, spreading the fire. The smoke, confined by the force field, rapidly filled the lab. “I’m trapped,” Jack said slowly, realization dawning.</p>
<p>“Sir, please stay on the phone with me. A firetruck and ambulance are heading to your location right now. Is anyone else in the building with you?”</p>
<p>“No. No it’s just me.”</p>
<p>“Okay, stay calm. Help is on the way. Stay low to the ground. You won’t breathe in as much smoke that way.”</p>
<p>“Jack!” A voice shouted. That worried panic in the young ghost’s voice was becoming uncomfortably familiar. “Hang on, I’m coming!”</p>
<p>It was the ghost boy, standing stood at the top of the stairs outside the force field. “What are you doing here?” Jack asked it incredulously.</p>
<p>“I’m here to help. But you’ve got to deactivate the force field. I can’t get in.”</p>
<p>“I ca-an’t,” Jack coughed, falling to his knees. When he looked up, the specter was gone. Had he imagined it?</p>
<p>Danny moved out of eyesight and turned back into his human form. He crossed the force field and, staying out of eyesight, shifted back into his ghostly form, hovering above the ruined stairs.

</p>
<p>He <em>screamed<em>. The smoke seared his eyes, nose, throat, and lungs. It hurt. It hurt so bad. The pain brought him to his knees in a puddle of dark red oily liquid. It visibly ate through the knees of his jumpsuit, making the pale, green-tinted skin darker and irritated. Blood Blossoms. He didn’t have much time to save Jack and himself. Danny pulled the upper part of his jumpsuit over his mouth and nose and crawled forward, squinting his eyes, and holding his breath. Flying and turning intangible hurt too much, but Danny managed to stagger across the lab around the worst of the flame to get to his father.</em></em></p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>“Ghost! Get out of here!” Jack warned. Sirens wailed in the distance.</p>
<p>
  <em></em>
</p>
<p>“Can’t die twice, can I? I-I’m not going to leave you.”</p>
<p>
  <em></em>
</p>
<p>This close, Jack could see just how young it, no, he really was. Jack knew he was young but had figured the Ghost Boy had been in his late teens when he died. No. Phantom was still very much a kid. He couldn’t be much older than Danny. And through the smoke and flickering flames, he looked so very human, even with ectoplasm tears streaking down his freckled face. </p>
<p>
  <em></em>
</p>
<p>“I can get you out of here. But…we…we have to deactivate the force field. So I can get through.” Phantom’s voice was rough and forced, punctuated by coughing and choking. He pitched forward, only to be caught by Jack. </p>
<p>
  <em></em>
</p>
<p>“How’d you get past the force field in the first place, kid?”</p>
<p>
  <em></em>
</p>
<p>Phantom moaned and coughed more as his muscles twitched and spasmed. He sat himself back up and wiped ectoplasm away from his lips. “Halfas don’t count as ghosts,” He muttered, more to himself than Jack. “Not really.” Louder, he said, “The stairs are blocked off, so we’ll have to go through the wall.”</p>
<p>
  <em></em>
</p>
<p>That made no sense. That might’ve been the smoke inhalation though. “The switch is over there,” Jack said, pointing.</p>
<p>
  <em></em>
</p>
<p>Danny staggered up to his feet and flipped the switch to deactivate the forcefield. Part of the ceiling cracked. “Jack. We need to get out of here. Can you stand up?”</p>
<p>
  <em></em>
</p>
<p>Jack nodded and used the wall to pull himself up, coughing and wheezing.</p>
<p>
  <em></em>
</p>
<p>Part of the ceiling collapsed. Phantom cried out and summoned a ghostly shield. The debris cracked against the shield, causing the shield to flicker out of existence and cover them both in dust as Phantom collapsed on his knees.</p>
<p>
  <em></em>
</p>
<p>Danny pushed himself back up and took ahold of Jack’s arm before turning them intangible. He led them through the wall and out to the front yard, his breathing easing only slightly as he distanced himself from the Blood Blossom smoke. Once they were clear, he collapsed. He didn’t want to move ever again.</p>
<p>
  <em></em>
</p>
<p>A firetruck and ambulance pulled up in front of the house and several people jumped out. The firefighters began hooking the hose up to the hydrant, while the man and woman from the ambulance approached Jack and Phantom. Phantom!</p>
<p>
  <em></em>
</p>
<p>Jack sat up and looked around. Phantom lay in the grass in a pool of ectoplasm only a couple feet away, twitching and curled in the fetal position with his arms over his head, making small noises of distress. His still-smoking jumpsuit was singed and torn in several places, revealing more than a few burns. His white boots and gloves were stained with soot, and his white hair was damp and streaked with ectoplasm and ash. He whimpered in between wet, hacking coughs. When one of the paramedics touched his shoulder, he keened and curled up into a tighter ball.</p>
<p>
  <em></em>
</p>
<p>The male paramedic pushing the stretcher knelt next to Jack. “Sir, is anyone else inside?”</p>
<p>
  <em></em>
</p>
<p>“No.”</p>
<p>
  <em></em>
</p>
<p>“Okay. My name is Darren. I’m with the Amity Park Ambulance Services. Can I take a look at you?”</p>
<p>
  <em></em>
</p>
<p>Jack nodded his assent. The paramedic quickly began taking his vitals.</p>
<p>
  <em></em>
</p>
<p>“No!” Phantom cried out behind him. “No hospitals…Gonna get taken away…”</p>
<p>
  <em></em>
</p>
<p>Jack turned to see Phantom weakly pushing the woman away.</p>
<p>
  <em></em>
</p>
<p>“Can we take you to the hospital? You inhaled a lot of smoke.” The man asked Jack, who nodded.</p>
<p>
  <em></em>
</p>
<p>The man lowered the stretcher. “Will you help me lift him?” He asked his partner.</p>
<p>
  <em></em>
</p>
<p>“Yeah. Wait, what about the ghost kid?” Jack asked as they moved him.</p>
<p>
  <em></em>
</p>
<p>“We called for another ambulance, but there’s not a whole lot we can do for a…ghost. He’s already passed away. And he refused treatment. We can’t do anything for him, medically or legally."</p>
<p>
  <em></em>
</p>
<p>They wheeled Jack towards the ambulance. When Jack looked back, the boy was gone, leaving only a pool of ectoplasm behind. Something felt tight in Jack’s chest, making it hard to breathe, and it wasn’t just the smoke inhalation. The ghost kid was already dead. He was dead. Jack found himself wondering how. In the lab when he had screamed, he sounded so alive. The paramedics put an oxygen mask on his face. They monitored his vitals on the way to the hospital and asked questions that Jack answered, distracted.</p>
<p>
  <em></em>
</p>
<p>Phantom was an enigma, appearing, raising questions, and then disappearing. He showed an unexpected intelligence and reasoning Jack hadn’t expected. And maybe empathy, as impossible as it sounded. Why else had this ghost risked his existence for him? He had saved Maddie and Jazz, too. Why could this ghost apparently feel pain? Whatever reasons, this changed things. Jack could no longer see Phantom as an ‘it’, a monster. Phantom could feel pain. Phantom was sentient. He had a name. Danny Phantom. Jack and Maddie had never been able to call him Danny. It felt wrong. Even Phantom had felt too familiar. So they dehumanized him because it was easier. Studying him through experiments and dissection would be utterly wrong. For all practical purposes, Phantom was a person now. What had he said? ‘Halfsies don’t count?’ Something like that. Was it possible to be only part ghost? Jack had no idea. That was a question for later. The only question answered today was that Blood Blossoms were not the key to subduing ghosts without hurting them. For now, he had to worry about explaining how he ended up in the hospital after being left alone for an hour.</p>
<p>
  <em></em>
</p>
<p>Luckily, he didn’t have to stay in the hospital long. After a doctor looked him over, and a few hours of oxygen therapy; he was released. On the way home from the hospital, Jack told Maddie, Jazz and Danny all about what happened. And discussed the new discoveries about Phantom with his wife.</p>
<p>
  <em></em>
</p>
<p>When Maddie pulled into the driveway, Jack almost half expected to see Phantom still in the yard. He wasn’t there. The ectoplasm was gone as well, leaving only on vague oval shape of dead grass. He wanted to look around the neighborhood. Assuming he survived, Phantom couldn’t have gotten far; not with how injured he was. Someone needed to check on the ghostly teen. Did he have anyone looking out for him? Besides, Jack owed him a thank you. Maddie vetoed Jack going, and instead took Jazz out to look for him, without any luck. Jack doubted they would. He secretly figured Phantom would make himself scarce if Maddie was looking for him, especially after she shot him just last week.</p>
<p>
  <em></em>
</p>
<p>Jazz was more concerned with Jack and Danny, who had been coughing all day. “Dad. You won’t find Phantom unless he wants to be found. I’m sure he’ll be okay.”</p>
<p>
  <em></em>
</p>
<p>It rained that night. It bothered Jack, the idea of Phantom holed up somewhere hurt and alone, cold and wet and coughing up the ghostly equivalent of blood. And his screams still echoed in Jack’s head. Jack and Maddie just had to hope that he’d bounce back and be his cocky self in no time, fighting the less friendly ghosts that threatened Amity Park. Jack was so concerned he barely noticed Danny’s cough. When Maddie asked Danny about, he shrugged and said he just had a cold, and went to bed early.</p>
<p>
  <em></em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. How to Train Your Dog by Danny Phantom and Cujo</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hey, ya'll. I hope you're all are as safe as possible. Here is chapter four. This chapter doesn't have much action, but I thought Danny needed a bit of a break. It's more dialogue and character development heavy. I hope ya'll still enjoy. I did manage to completely call myself out, though.</p><p>I've decided to call this series You Will be Found, after the song from the musical Dear Evan Hansen. All the works will be focused on Danny and his friends and family. He has a strong support system, even if he doesn't know it. As far as other works in this series, I'm working on a short story focusing on Danny and the veterinarian. Most of it takes place the same time this story does. I'm also working on a longer sequel that will be an eventual identity reveal. I want to focus on writing and finishing one, rather than work on both simultaneously. Any opinions on which one I should write first? I also welcome your thoughts on Danny being trans in this series. It's an idea I've been toying with.</p><p>As always, kudos, bookmarks, and feedback is all appreciated. If there is anything you want to see more or less of, I'm all ears.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Phantom hadn’t been seen in four days. In that time, there had been 10 major ghost attacks, causing massive property damage, even worse than what Phantom destroyed in a typical fight. Fourteen people were hospitalized from injuries. The Fentons and Red Huntress were running themselves ragged to pick up the slack. They hadn’t noticed how much Phantom did, not really, until he was longer around to do it. Nobody had realized how much of a deterrent his mere presence was, either. Rumors were rampant over town. Many suspected the Fentons or the Red Huntress were behind it, or at least knew what had become of their hero. Not that the Fentons would talk. They feared they’d only put him in more danger if they revealed what had really happened. They looked for him during every patrol, but all searches were fruitless.</p><p>“Phantom, he used your name the other day. When you almost got hit by the car. How do you know him?” Maddie asked Jazz over breakfast the fifth day of Phantom’s disappearance.</p><p>“He hangs around the school sometimes. We still get a lot of ghost attacks. We’ve met a couple times,” Jazz explained.</p><p>“Then you’ve probably already thoroughly psychoanalyzed him, knowing you.”</p><p>“Yeah, a bit,” She gave a sideways glance at Danny.</p><p>“Care to share what you’ve figured out?” Maddie asked, feigning innocent curiosity in her daughter’s hobbies. </p><p>Jazz sighed. “Phantom was young when he…when he, you know. Died. Early to mid-teens most likely. He also clearly suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Probably Complex PTSD, indicating the trauma was, or is, chronic, as opposed to acute. You know, something like recurring violence, as opposed to a single incident, such as a car crash. People with acute PTSD tend to see the world as dangerous. Those who suffer from C-PTSD, such as Phantom, tend to place the blame on themselves. They believe, <em>very incorrectly<em>, I might add, that they are to blame for the traumatic events they experienced.”</em></em></p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>Danny got up and put his plate in the sink and went upstairs to finish getting ready for school. He really needed to get out and start doing his job again. His parent’s concern was unnerving, his friends thought he was dying, Wes was going to have an aneurysm, and Amity Park was in hysterics. People were claiming the world was ending and had begun hoarding toilet paper, of all things.<br/>
He had tried to go ghost two days after the fire and wasn't in any hurry to repeat that. Learning the fire was from burning Blood Blossoms had unfortunately explained a lot. Inhaling the smoke had wreaked havoc on his lungs. He was still wheezing and coughing, even in human form. Jazz had been keeping him supplied with cough drops and water, not that it helped much.</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>After he thought his parents went to bed that night, he snuck out. He had befriended a veterinarian of all people, after he had stopped to pet her dogs one night while on patrol, then getting attacked. She had given him stitches a few times before. The past few nights, she had been giving him oxygen therapy, and taking radiographs to monitor his healing lungs. As he walked, a cold wave washed over him, and he could see his breath. Perfect. Just perfect. It wasn’t enough that he was low- to mid- key dying (or maybe high-key. How was he supposed to know?). There had to be a ghost around.<br/>
Cujo barked and growled nearby. He inhaled sharply and jogged towards the noise. His parents’ Ghost Assault Vehicle was parked on the street.</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>“Going ghost!” He shifted into his ghost form. It was slightly less painful this time than it was a few days prior. Still not comfortable, though. He had to hope his parents would listen and give him and Cujo an honest chance before someone got hurt. </p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>Danny flew over the GAV. Cujo snarled and lunged at Valerie. He got a hold of her hoverboard and vigorously shook it. It cracked and splintered under the strain.</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>Danny hovered between his parents, Valerie and Cujo. He spread his arms. “Wait! Don’t hurt him! Please, he’s not dangerous. Give me a chance to talk to him.” He bent over, suddenly coughing, forcing him to land. He leaned against a wall, out of arms reach. It sounded wet and painful, as if his very lungs were liquid. For all Jack and Maddie knew, they were. </p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>Maddie lowered her gun, and Jack, the Fenton Thermos he held. “Hey, you’re okay! You had us worried for a while, when you disappeared like that,” Jack said, taking in his appearance. Okay wasn’t the best word. Phantom was paler than usual, with pronounced bags under his eyes. He was slouching, so unlike the confident ghost they had become used to. There were still enough tears in his jumpsuit that Maddie and Jack could see injuries that had begun to heal. Burns and abrasions mostly. They could see one long cut on his upper arm that had been neatly stitched up with dark thread. The crook of his right arm was green with a recent bruise. There were several other large bruises, too, in so many different shades of green and yellow, they must have been from before the fire. The holes in the legs of his pants revealed skinned knees that had scabbed over. It was fascinating and worrying all at once. The bruising showed that Phantom had a functional circulatory system, the cuts and abrasions indicated layers of skin. </p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>Phantom finally stopped coughing, “Gimme… just a second,” the boy panted, struggling to catch breath he shouldn’t need. Something in his chest grated on every breathe. He wiped some ectoplasm away from his lips and leaned his arm and head against the wall.</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>“<em>Are<em> you okay? I didn’t think you needed to breath.” Maddie inquired.</em></em></p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“I’m fine,” he wheezed. “My lungs are just still trying to melt into sludge and drown me. Completely fine,” he said, far too casual for the topic. “Why wouldn’t I breathe?”</em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“You’re a ghost.”</em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“Really? Hadn’t noticed.” He attempted to smile, but it turned into a grimace. He looked down at their hands, then back up to their faces before turning around and whistling. “Cujo!” He called, hoarsely. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“Cujo, c’mere boy!” The giant green dog stopped chewing on a lamp post. He turned towards them and sprinted towards them. Before their very eyes, he turned into a small puppy that Phantom scooped up and held protectively against his chest. “He’s not dangerous. I think he was just looking for me.”</em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“Your stupid dog busted my hoverboard,” Valerie said accusingly.</em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“He’s not mine. Not exactly. I mean, he kinda is now. I think. But only because he doesn’t have anyone else! I found him a while ago and try to keep him from breaking stuff or attacking people. But sometimes he gets out of the Ghost Zone and I have to put him back.” He watched them cautiously, reminding Maddie of what Jazz said about trauma resulting from experiencing violence.</em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>Maddie put her gun back in the holster. A show of peace. “What about you? Do you have anyone looking out for you?”</em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“Yes!” he said defensively. He stood up straighter and squared his shoulders, looking them in the eye.</em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>Every instinct screamed for Maddie to draw her gun again, but she forced herself to hold her hands out so Phantom could see they were empty. “Okay, okay. We’re just worried about you.” Phantom’s eyes narrowed warily. “How do you get ghosts from the thermos back to the Ghost Zone anyway?”</em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“Danny does it. I get the thermos to him, he empties it in your portal, and gets it back to me.”</em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“Why? You could sneak in the house easily.”</em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>Phantom looked at Maddie like she was insane. “Nuh-uh. No way. Does the phrase ‘Torn apart molecule by molecule’ mean anything to you? If I get caught in your house, I’m not coming out, unless I’m in pieces. I’m gonna get dissected, and my brains are going to end up in a pickle jar full of formaldehyde or something.”<br/>
Jack frowned. They had caused this paranoia. They were part of the reason he was always alone. “What about rescuing me the other day?”</em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>Phantom crossed his arms sullenly. “Just a fluke. I saved you, but this doesn’t change your opinion of me. Not really. I may be young, but I’m not stupid.”</em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“Maybe it does change things. Or can.”</em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>Phantom shifted in place and rubbed the back of his neck. “Look, can I just go already? I don’t feel good. I’m tired and just want to go to sleep.”</em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“You sleep?” Maddie asked, shocked.</em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“Yeah? Most ghosts don’t, but I need to.”</em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“Where?” Maddie blurted.</em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>The wary look returned on his face. “Why? So you can kidnap me and experiment on me?”</em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>Great. Back at square one. Phantom thinks we’ll vivisect him if he gets close to us,<em> Maddie thought. It hurt how untrusting he was, but the fact that his caution was justified hurt more. How many times had he been threatened by the GiW, the Red Huntress, or that hunter ghost? How many times had they themselves threatened him and hurt him? The last time she shot at him during the fight with the Box Ghost and Lunch Lady wasn’t the only time she had caused injury.</em></em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>Jack started to reach for him, but let his arm drop when Phantom balked, eyeing the thermos. “No. Experimenting on you like that would be cruel and inhumane. We just want to make sure you’ll be okay. You’re not a bad kid, and you really do good things for Amity Park. We judged you and treated you unfairly simply because you’re a ghost. But you proved us wrong. You’ve saved us. So, thank you.”</em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>The Red Huntress scoffed.</em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>Phantom’s eyes widened, and he tilted his head to the side. “So that’s it? You’re just going to drop it? Aren’t you curious?”</em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>“We’re scientists. We’ll always be curious. But there are ways to get answers without hurting you anymore than we already have.”</em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>He still looked skeptical. “Okay. But try to see this from my perspective. You-,” he pointed at Val, “-have been trying to kill me ever since the incident at Axion Labs. And you two-” He pointed at his parents, “-Have been trying to kidnap and torture me ever since I showed up. And now you’re stopping. Wha-Just because I almost melted in your front yard? It’s a lot to take in!” He brushed his bangs out of his face.</em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>“Right now, the most important thing is you getting better. You look dead on your feet if you’ll pardon the pun.” Maddie’s voice was soft. It surprised even her, but the recent encounters with this ghost had awakened her maternal side. He was just a kid. A ghost kid, but still a kid. A kid who had an entire town counting on him. A kid in way over his head who helped those who hurt him and expected nothing in return.</em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>He chuckled. “I feel dead. Blood Blossoms are nasty.”</em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>“Is that what did this to you?”</em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>“Yeah. Ghosts are…” He hesitated. “We’re basically really, super allergic. And it’s like acid to us.”</em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>It made a disturbing amount of sense to Jack. Those burns weren’t just from the fire. They were chemical burns. And Phantom had been breathing in the stuff. Jack wanted to hug him but didn’t think Phantom would appreciate the gesture just yet.</em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>Phantom yawned. “I’m just going to put Cujo in the thermos until I can get it to Danny.”</em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>“We can put him in the Ghost Zone for you. Afterwards, I can just leave it in the mailbox for you to grab. Sound good?”</em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>“Alright. Truce then?” He extended his hand.</em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>“Truce.” Maggie and Jack said simultaneously. They shook his hand and were surprised to discover his gloves where thick and heavy. They felt like lead-lined safety gloves. With him so close and actually sitting still for once, they noticed his jumpsuit looked like it came out of a modern lab’s PPE closet. Meaning he died recently, probably within the past few years even, Maddie realized. Which raised yet another question. How did the mysterious Phantom die? How did someone so young die in a hazmat suit? Jack and Maddie suspected it had something to do with his distrust of scientists, and that bothered them. Danny handed the Fenton thermos to Jack and stepped back out of arm’s reach.</em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>Jack looked at Valerie and cleared his throat. She huffed. “Fine. Truce.” She shook his hand. </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>“Take care of yourself, okay? You shouldn’t have come out tonight, not in the shape you’re in,” Jack said. He thought about putting a hand on the young ghost’s shoulder but thought better.</em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>“We can handle the ghosts until you’re better, okay?” Maddie reassured him.</em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>Phantom nodded and turned his back to them, limping away. </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>“You’re not going to fly?” Valerie asked.</em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>“Too tired,” He called over his shoulder.</em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Motorcycle Safety with Danny Phantom and the Fentons</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Okay, Danny's break time is over. Now back to your regularly scheduled angst. There's less physical harm, and more emotional. He has a panic attack and flashback. This chapter is super short, chapter six will be up probably sometime next week, and is really long. I really do want feedback on what you want to see next: sequel (longer, eventual identity reveal), or shorter story focusing on Danny and the local veterinarian (fluff and angst and crack, will probably be connected, chronological one shots).</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It took nearly two weeks before Phantom was out and about fighting ghosts regularly. By then, the visible injuries and rips in his jumpsuit were gone, as were the scuffs on his gloves and boots. He only had trouble breathing when he exerted himself, and the worrying noise in his chest had mostly stopped. Jack and Maddie had tried to talk him into resting longer, but he wasn’t hearing any of it. </p><p>Things weren’t quite the same. Amity Park was relieved to have Phantom back in action, and even the most vocal critics of Phantom had been quiet lately. The news had thoroughly reported Phantom fighting alongside the Fentons, who had publicly announced a truce with Amity’s savior. Danny was just glad his lungs had quit dissolving and healed.</p><p>During a mild skirmish with Ember, Phantom had avoided getting bludgeoned with her guitar with an impressive backflip. “Nice job, Phantom!” Jack had shouted. The praise had been instinctive and to Jack, insignificant. Not to Phantom. He had turned to look at Jack, beaming. </p><p>“Really?” He lit up, literally glowing with pride as a ghostly green blush blossomed across his pale face.<br/>
After the fight, Phantom leaned against a wall to catch his breath and downed an entire bottle of water. Jack mentally added it to the list of Weird Stuff Phantom Does That Should be Scientifically Impossible. Now that they were on friendlier terms, they had learned a lot about his behavior. They hypothesized that his obsession was protecting the people of Amity Park, or just being helpful in general. </p><p>It wasn’t perfect. Danny Phantom remained cautious, but slowly, very slowly, he was beginning to trust them. He still watched them carefully, usually staying out of arm’s reach. He rarely showed his back to them, but it was getting more frequent. After the last few battles, he had stuck around long enough to chat. He was full of energy and surprisingly polite, when he wasn’t being sarcastic. For all practical purposes, he acted like a normal teenage boy. They still had dozens of questions, but every time they started in on a line of questioning, he got defensive and made up an excuse to leave. What kind of excuse was “I have homework” for a ghost anyway?! The problem was he was so strange that they had no idea of he was joking or not. They quit asking so many questions after noticing the pattern. It wasn’t worth risking the tentative trust they had built.</p><p>He was fascinated with stars, and as they quickly learned, the rest of outer space. They spotted him sitting on a roof, legs dangling of the edge, looking up at the sky more than once. This sparked a conversation.</p><p>“Our son, Danny, loves space. He wants to be an astronaut, you know,” Maddie told him one night.</p><p>Phantom’s shoulders sagged. “Yeah, but you have to get good grades to get into a college with a good space program. And he’s really, really struggling in school. If you guys could take a break from your projects to help him with his homework every once in a while, I think it would really help, you know?”</p><p>Maddie nodded slowly. “I knew he was struggling, but he never asks for help.”</p><p>“You’re always so busy. I-,” Phantom ran his hand through his bangs, messing them up further. By now, Maddie’s learned it’s a nervous habit when he’s trying to say something important. “He feels awkward, like he’s just bothering you.”</p><p>“That’s not true at all. I can see how he’d feel that way though. You two are close, aren’t you?”</p><p>Phantom shrugged. “I guess so? It just sorta…happened,” He vaguely waved his hands. “I should go though. I’ve got stuff to do. And things. Good night!” He flew off and disappeared into the night. It wasn’t a day later that Phantom tried to save them yet again.</p><p>The Fentons had gone out for ice cream to celebrate Danny acing his math test. In the parking lot, Jack knocked over the motorcycle they parked next to. Danny’s Ghost Sense went off as he recognized the bike as Johnny 13’s. Oh joy. Johnny was bound to show up and cause problems.</p><p>“I’ll go get us a table,” Danny said quickly. Before his parents could argue, he darted inside, where he hid in the bathroom to change into his ghost form.</p><p>When he got back outside, Johnny and his shadow had his family cornered and had a hold of Jazz's upper arm. “Can’t have one nice day with a normal family,” he grumbled. “Hey! Don’t you have anything better to do than harass girls too young for you!”</p><p>Johnny let go of Jazz and turned around. “Well, well. Danny Phantom. I heard you were back on your feet and spoiling everyone’s fun. I was wondering when you’d show up.”</p><p>“Leave them alone, Johnny,” Danny threatened.</p><p>“Now why would I do that?”</p><p>“Because I’ll do this!” Danny snapped, summoning a green ecto-blast. </p><p>Before he could use it, there was a blue flash of light behind him and he was thrown forward, crying out in pain. “You’re losing your touch, kid. Nice shot, Kitty. Now, Shadow,” Johnny pointed at Danny. </p><p>“Get him!” The shadow peeled itself off the ground and flew towards Danny. It picked him up and threw him into a car. The door dented and the window shattered underneath him. Shadow let him drop to his hands and knees with a groan.</p><p>“C’mon Phantom!” Kitty taunted. “Put up a real fight. I wanna see some action.”</p><p>Danny pushed himself and fired three ecto-blasts at her in rapid succession. In that time, Jazz was able to get her into a thermos while Danny lunged at Johnny. He kept himself between Johnny and his family, trusting that they would watch his back now. </p><p>He swung his fist at Johnny’s face, but before impact, the Shadow yanked his legs out from under him. Danny hit the back of his head on the cement and yelped. Something hit him in his still sore ribs, sending him sprawling. He scrambled back to his feet, blinking away stars. “C’mon kid! You’re not even trying to make this interesting.”</p><p>Danny heard his dad throw the Jack o’ Nine Tails. Shadow picked Danny up and shoved him into it before it could reach Johnny. The metal cords wrapped around Danny’s legs and torso, pinning his arms to his sides, before lighting up with crackling electricity. Danny landed on his side, arching his back as he screamed, frantically twisting to try and escape. When the pain finally stopped, Johnny scoffed. </p><p>“You’re not anywhere near back on your feet. I guess having your insides melt will do that to a person.” He chuckled, nudging Danny with his foot to roll him onto back and stepping over him. He got on his motorcycle and drove through the portal, leaving Kitty in the thermos and Danny still tangled on the ground. Danny laid there, humiliated, defeated, and too afraid to move for fear of being shocked again.</p><p>Jack and Maddie ran towards him but stopped short. He was breathing heavily and shaking slightly. His eyes were wide and glassy, staring at something only he could see. When Jack and Maddie reached out for him, he flinched, “Phantom, I am so so sorry. Are you alright?”</p><p>He didn’t respond, just continued hyperventilating, and trembling. Jack hurriedly pulled the net off him. Phantom didn’t seem to notice.</p><p>“Mom. Dad. Back up, give him some space,” Jazz said kneeling down next to him. She pulled him out of the net and into a careful hug. He pushed her away, looking up at Jack and Maddie accusingly. He flew off without a word. </p><p>Inside of the ice cream parlor, they found Danny, sitting in a corner and looking sullen. When Maddie tried to explain the delay, he shut it down. </p><p>“I saw the fight from the window,” was all he would say on the matter.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Hunter’s Safety with Danny Phantom and Skulker</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Alright. Here it is. Part Six. Thank you so so much for everyone for reading, commenting, giving kudos, bookmarking etc. If you've interacted with this phic, know that I low- to mid-key consider us friends now. I love and appreciate each and every one of you. (Seriously, I've been under so much stress lately and rereading nice comments made me feel better.) I'm updating early for deuynndrabbles, because they asked nicely. Happy birthday! Hope you have a good one. I plan on posting part two in the next week or two, so keep an eye out for that. Enjoy.</p><p>In the wise words of my friend (UnfortunatelyObssessed): Sometimes I can't help myself, the angst cookie jar is covered in glitter, and I am but a simple crow.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Ok, now that that’s all taken care of, I can finally go home and- AH!” Something snapped, and metal sank in Danny’s right leg, stopping with a snap and a crunch as it collided with bone. Danny shrieked and fell to his knees in a puddle of dirty water. The thermos containing Skulker fell from his hand and rolled away. “Nghh…” Danny groaned. He laid there for almost a minute, trying to catch his breath before twisting to look. A faintly glowing metal trap was clamped around his foot, teeth embedded deep in his leg just above his ankle. Ectoplasm welled up from where the teeth had torn ectoplasmic flesh.</p><p>He tried to phase out of it first. Then he tried turning back into his human form. No luck. Skulker must have left it to catch him, and whatever he had done to the leg trap was negating Danny’s ghost powers. He tried prying it open, and when that didn’t work, he followed the chain to where it was embedded in the cement of the dirty alleyway by a spike. He gripped the chain tightly and yanked. If he could get it loose, he could fly away and get help. The chain didn’t budge. Danny went back to fiddling with the metal piece that he thought would release the spring.</p><p>It had been raining all day, only stopping about halfway through Danny’s fight with Skulker. The thunder had continued, and a bolt of lightning was the only warning Danny had before it started pouring again; quickly drenching him and slicking his bangs to his face. He crawled on his hands and knees as far as the chain would let him, hoping to take cover under the roof of the building. The chain was too short and caused the trap to tug painfully when he reached the end. Danny let himself fall face down with an aggravated sob. His breath hitched and he rested his head on folded arms, trying to not to cry.</p><p>He was alone. Sam had an obligatory dinner with her family and someone important Sam didn’t know, and Tucker’s grandfather was in the hospital. Jazz was at the local community college, spending the week in the dorms for a program designed to let high school students experience college life. Danny had already told his parents he was staying the night at Tucker’s to work on a nonexistent group project. Nobody would look for him until at least tomorrow morning. Danny tried to quell the panic and focus on his breathing. He would be fine. </p><p>His ghost sense went off, making him shudder. Danny needed to get free, and quickly. He looked around the alley way for something that could help. There! His school bag was off to his right, where he had dropped it during the fight with Skulker. He stumbled to his feet, swaying heavily, and hobbled about two steps before having to sit back down. Okay, okay. He could do this. He crawled across the alleyway again. The chain wasn’t long enough. He laid down on his stomach and stretched his arm out as far as he could, just shy of the bag with his phone in it. Taking a deep breath, he pulled himself a little further, trying to ignore the pain of the broken bones and torn muscles in his ankle tug and pull. His fingers brushed the damp fabric. He scrambled for something to hold onto and managed to pull it closer. Finally!</p><p>He sat up, keeping his hurt leg stretched out and dug around for his phone. He pulled it out, pausing. Who could he call? Jazz, Sam and Tucker couldn’t help. He didn’t have any other friends at school, no ghostly allies able to come to his aid. Dr. Barton! He dialed her personal cell phone and waited. </p><p>“Hello, you’ve reached Angel Barton. I’m out of town at a conference this weekend. If an animal is experiencing an emergency, please call Amity Park Veterinary Services at…” Danny hung up. He forgot she was out of town. He didn’t bother leaving a message. She wouldn’t be able to help.</p><p>He’d have to call his parents. He shuddered. They had been on good terms recently, sure, but he couldn’t just forget all their threats to vivisect him. What if this truce was an elaborate trick to gain his trust? Besides, just the other day, they had electrocuted him. He knew it was an accident but still…It brought back so many bad memories. For a few seconds, he had been right back in the portal. Another bolt of lightning fracturing the sky made him jump. He had no choice. Brushing his sopping wet hair out of his face, he called his mom. She picked up on the third ring. “Danny? Danny are you alright?”</p><p>“No. It’s…um.” He paused, taking a shaky breath. “It’s Phantom. Danny’s okay, though,” he added quickly. “This ghost, Skulker, showed up when I was on patrol, and Danny, he dropped his bag and phone. I found it, but I…” he hesitated again. “I need help. I got caught in one of Skulker’s traps, and I can’t get out. I’m stuck. And my leg is hurt.”</p><p>“Okay,” she said without any hesitation. “We’re on our way. Just sit tight. Where are you?”</p><p>“I’m in the alleyway behind the bowling alley.”</p><p>“Alright. I’ll get Jack and we’ll leave right now, don’t worry.”</p><p>“Thanks. And I’m sorry. I know it’s late, but I didn’t have anyone else I could call. I wouldn’t have bothered you if I had any other choice.” His voice wavered.</p><p>“Phantom. You are not a bother, or a burden or anything else. Do you understand me?” She said firmly.</p><p>“Yes, ma’am.”</p><p>“Now, do you want me to stay on the phone until we get there?”</p><p>“I guess so?” Danny shrugged, even though she couldn’t see him. </p><p>He heard her talking. “Jack! Jack, we need to go. Phantom just called. He’s hurt. He said he’s stuck in some ghost trap.”</p><p>Danny didn’t hear Jack’s response, but he did hear movement in the background. Maddie spoke up. “You still there?”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>“Okay, good. We’re on the road right now. Jack’s driving. We’ll be there soon. How bad is your leg hurt?”</p><p>“I think something’s broken. And it’s bleeding. You know those metal traps with teeth that close around an animal’s leg? It’s one of those.”</p><p>“We’re almost there,” She reassured him.</p><p>Danny’s Ghost Sense went off again. “Hurry. There’s a ghost nearby, and I’m not sure if I can take it on by myself right now. I’ve got to go.” He hung up.</p><p>He waited for the inevitable attack. Much to his surprise (and relief), it was Cujo who found him. The puppy ran up to him with a happy yip and crawled into his lap. “Hey, buddy. You found me. Good boy.” Cujo licked his face. </p><p>Eventually, he heard brakes squeal and saw headlights. His family’s RV parked at the mouth of the alleyway. They got out and ran towards him. Panic rose in his chest. He was helpless, easy prey. They could do anything to him, and nobody could stop them. Cujo, sensing Danny’s unease, moved to stand in front of him, slightly larger than normal. They slowed when they got closer. Cujo growled softly. </p><p>“It’s okay. They’re here to help.”</p><p>If Maddie had any residual hesitations about trusting Phantom, it vanished when she saw him sitting in the rain. He was soaking wet, in an alley surrounded by trash, cigarette butts and broken beer bottles. His left leg was folded against his chest, shoulders hunched, and arms wrapped around his knee, hugging himself. His right leg was stretched out in front of him. Sure enough, there was a metal contraption clamped tightly around his mangled ankle. Cruel, certainly, but effective. Phantom’s hair was plastered to his head, and in the yellow light of an old streetlamp, she could see a fresh scrape on the side of his face. His luminescent eyes were wide and full of fear. Thunder boomed overhead, and lightening cracked, and Phantom flinched.</p><p>The adults took in the sight of Amity Park’s alleged hero, now little more than a frightened child. If Phantom was skittish of them before, he was downright terrified now. As they approached, he staggered up to his feet, leaning most of his weight on Cujo, who had grown larger to accommodate him. There was a time when a dark part of Maddie would’ve relished such a powerful ecto-entity being so afraid of her. Now, Phantom’s distrust would make it that much harder to help him. Of course, the danger to him had been very real. Only a few short weeks ago, she wouldn’t have hesitated to capture him while vulnerable, and drag him kicking and screaming into the lab to be ‘studied’. She would’ve tortured him for answers. The mental image of him strapped to an exam table forced its way into her mind, and she felt ill. He would’ve been fully conscious for the inevitable dissection. It would’ve hurt. He could scream and cry and beg and she doubted she would’ve have cared. Or maybe she would’ve cared, when he looked at her like that. His facial expressions were entirely too human. Right now, he was currently looking at her with everything from pain and fear, to relief, trust, appreciation. He was easier for her to read than her own son was at times. She didn’t know how she felt about that just yet. On one hand, it was confusing that this ghost couldn’t lie to her, but her own son could. But there was a swell of pride that Phantom trusted them, at least a little. Even after Jack had accidentally electrocuted him. She shoved aside the lingering guilt to deal with later. Right now, she had a job to do.</p><p>“You haven’t been sleeping, have you?” Maddie finally asked. There were dark bags under his eyes, looking like deep green bruises.</p><p>He shrugged noncommittally. “Not really. I’ve been busy.” Admittedly, he added, “I have nightmares sometimes, too.”</p><p>That was a surprise. Not that he had nightmares, but that he’d admit it aloud to them.</p><p>“So, who’s Skulker?” Jack asked, kneeling to examine the trap. </p><p>“That hunter ghost who’s always yelling about how he’ll have my pelt on his wall. Or as a rug. It varies week to week.” Jack looked slightly guilty, and Phantom quickly added, “At least you guys just wanted my body for science.”</p><p>Jack didn’t say anything, but the furrow in his brow deepened. “Okay, this lever should open up the trap…” He fiddled with it, making Phantom wince. “Sorry. I just can’t seem to-Maddie, can you take a look at this?”</p><p>“That should be the spring holding it closed, so I don’t know why it won’t open,” Maddie said, running her hands over the trap.</p><p>“Alright, I’m just going to try and pry it open,” Jack said. He grabbed a metal jaw in each hand and tried to force the jaws open. It didn’t open, but Phantom had to bite his lip to keep from crying out. He buried his hands in Cujo’s fur. “This thing is sturdy. I should have a crowbar in the RV. I’ll be right back.” He got up and left, leaving Phantom and Cujo alone with Maddie. </p><p>“Phantom?” Maddie slowly moved to sit next to him.</p><p>“Hmm?”</p><p>“Once we get you free, would it be okay if we took you to the lab? We could bandage your leg and you could stay the night. I think we still have crutches somewhere from when Danny sprained his ankle. No tests or anything like that. We just want to help.”</p><p>“I suppose I can’t argue. I don’t exactly have a…leg to stand on.” He tried to smile. If he pretended he was fine, he would be. Eventually.</p><p>Maddie sighed. “I swear, you have the exact same awful sense of humor as my son.”</p><p>He quirked a smile. “There’s an excellent reason for that.”</p><p>“Must be all the time you two spend together. I’m honestly not sure who’s the bad influence. So, will you let us help?”</p><p>Lightening cracked, and the rain picked up.</p><p>Danny jumped and glared at the sky. “Alright. But no tests or weapons. And don’t knock me out or restrain me.”</p><p>“Deal,” Maddie said, raising her voice to be heard over the din of the storm.</p><p>“Promise me,” Phantom said firmly.</p><p>“Cross my heart and hope to…Umm. Yeah, I promise,” Maddie said awkwardly.</p><p>“I’m back,” Jack announced, saving Maddie. He put a hand on Phantom’s knee to stabilize his leg. With the other, he wedged the crowbar in between the teeth of the trap by Phantom’s leg. “Alright, kid. Try and hold still, okay?” Jack remembered how well Phantom responded to positive reinforcement. “You’re doing great,” he added.</p><p>Phantom relaxed slightly but shouted and jerked his leg away as soon as Jack pushed down on the crowbar. “Ow! Ugh, that friggin’ hurts. I might as well just cut my leg off and be done with it.” </p><p>“Hang on. I think I almost had it loose. If I can get it open just a little bit, you may be able to phase out of it. Can I try again?”</p><p>Phantom nodded, taking a deep breath and gritting his teeth. Jack re-positioned the crowbar and pulled. Phantom yelped and jerked away. “Maddie, hold him still.”</p><p>Maddie moved to sit behind him and held him by the upper arms. He tried to jerk away, and she tightened her grip. He thrashed back and forth, and Maddie pulled him closer to her, pinning his arms to his sides. Jack tried prying the trap open one last time. Both tried and failed to ignore the look of complete betrayal on Phantom’s face.  </p><p>He made a noise of pain but didn’t move until something crunched in his foot. He fell backwards into Maddie with a heart-wrenching cry. “Stop! Stop, please,” he begged. “You promised!” Cujo grew larger and growled until they let go of Danny and backed away.</p><p>Jack was quiet for a long moment. “Mads, I can’t get it off.”</p><p>Cujo shrank down and whined, licking Phantom’s hand.</p><p>“Then we take him to the lab. Maybe we can cut it off?”</p><p>“Okay, let me just get this chain out of the ground and we’ll get him home.”</p><p>While Jack worked on getting the chain undone, Maddie reached for Phantom again. He jerked his head away, eyes narrowed in suspicion. “What are you doing?”</p><p>“Easy, I just wanted to look at that scrape.”</p><p>“It’s not that bad.”</p><p>Maddie put her hand on his jaw and tilted his head up. He repressed the urge to pull away. “The scrape doesn’t look bad, but I think your pupils are different sizes. It’s hard to tell in this light. Did you hit your head?”</p><p>“I got thrown into a wall,” he offered, nonchalant. </p><p>“You’ve probably got a concussion.” That could partially explain his behavior.</p><p>“Oh joy.”</p><p>Maddie moved his head to get a better look at his eyes. As she did, her fingers brushed his throat. She deliberately moved her index and middle fingers to the side of Phantom’s throat, pausing. “Jack. Come here. Put your fingers right here,” She moved her hand out of the way. </p><p>Realization and horror dawned on Jack’s face. “Phantom. Would you care to explain why you have a pulse? Either you’re not dead, or we know even less about you than we thought.”</p><p>He chuckled, eyes dazed and unfocused. “Do I have to pick one?’ His eyes rolled backwards as he passed out.</p><p>Jack and Maddie stared at him, trying to comprehend a ghost with a pulse. A ghost who wasn’t completely dead. “We need to get him out. I got it loose.” With a little more work, they were able to get the spike attached to the chain out of the ground. “Alright. Got it.” Jack picked up Phantom trying not to jostle his leg and carried him to the RV. Maddie opened the door, and Jack deposited him onto the back row of seats. Cujo followed closely, jumping in after. Maddie climbed in and sat next to the unconscious boy. Jack frantically drove back home, driving more recklessly than usual.</p><p>“He’s cold. Most ghosts are, but if he’s not dead…” Jack trailed off.</p><p>“He’s got a concussion, I’m pretty sure. I’m worried he may be in shock, though. Is that even possible?” </p><p>“I don’t know anything about him,” Jack admitted. “But we’ll help him however we can.”</p><p>“Oh, Jack. What have we been doing all this time?” Maddie said, thinking of all the times they had hurt him. She spent the drive trying to wake up the boy. “Phantom,” she shook his shoulder. “Phantom, sweetheart, you’ve got to wake up.” She brushed his wet hair away from his face.</p><p>He winced. “Mmmm…” he grumbled, cracking one eye open. “Mom?”</p><p>Maddie’s heart broke further. Phantom had a mother. She knew that, logically. But sitting with him half in her lap, she fully comprehended that he was someone’s son. He had died so young, and his family had to bury their child. She couldn’t imagine losing Danny, or Jazz. “No, Phantom. It’s Maddie.”</p><p>He looked confused before closing his eyes again. Cujo started licking his face. “’Verythin’…hurts…”</p><p>Jack parked and got out. He went to the back seat and picked up Phantom, who was unresponsive again. Maddie walked ahead to open the door. In the lab, he gingerly set Danny on an empty lab table. He moaned and shuddered, but his eyes stayed closed. </p><p>Cujo whined and scratched at the leg of the table.</p><p>“Alright. I’m going to get the saw,” Jack said </p><p>Phantom shot up. “No!”</p><p>Maddie grabbed his arm and pushed him back down. “Phantom. Take it easy. We’re trying to help. Calm down. We’re just going to cut the trap off, okay?”</p><p>In a blind panic, he flailed and fell off the lab table. He scrambled backwards towards the wall, dragging the trap with him until it snagged on a table leg and jerked him to a halt.  His struggling only succeeded in in shredding more skin and muscle and wrenching the bones further out of place.</p><p>“No! I should never have trusted you! You’re going to dissect me!” His wide eyes brimmed with glowing tears. He wrapped his arms around himself and started hyperventilating. Cujo tripled in size, bristling, and snarling in front of Phantom. Phantom’s fingers came alive with ectoplasmic energy, reminding Jack and Maddie that both of them were still dangerous, especially cornered, and scared. </p><p>“I’ll hold him down,” Jack offered.</p><p>“No. Take a few steps back. I’m going to try something.” Maddie ignored every instinct she had and sat down in front of Phantom. It was true that they had the knowledge and equipment to negate his powers and restrain him long enough to fix his leg before releasing him, but Maddie had made a promise. Even if she hadn’t promised, she was done doing things by force on ghosts. Especially this one. If they held him down and fixed his leg, he would never trust them again. She wouldn’t be helping him, not really. “We are not going to hurt you. I don’t have any weapons. See?” She showed him her empty hands. “Please. You’ve helped so many people. Let someone help you for a change. I know it’s asking a lot, but would you trust us?”</p><p>Eventually, he nodded. It didn’t take long for them to cut the trap off with a saw after getting him back up on the table. Cujo, tiny again, curled up underneath the table and began licking the floor. Getting Phantom’s shredded boot off was another painful battle. They left his boots on the floor. His gloves were set aside on the table next to him. His knuckles were bruised and bloody, and several fingers looked broken. His left hand was covered in faintly glowing, green Lichtenburg figures that disappeared under his sleeve. There was a gentle rise and fall to his chest as he breathed.</p><p>“Okay, you’re doing great. Can we take off your jumpsuit? We want to see if you have any other injuries and clean your leg. I’m not willing to risk you getting an infection.”</p><p>Danny unzipped it and pushed it down around his waist.</p><p>Maddie gasped and covered her mouth. Phantom’s scrawny torso was covered in cuts and bruises in various degrees of healing. The larger cuts had been professionally stitched up with actual sutures. His side had a large, painful-looking raised scar on his side where she had shot him. The Lichtenburg figures traveled up his arm and across his chest and back. There were other scars, too. Four claw marks went diagonally across his stomach. His left arm looked like it had been chewed on by something with large teeth. A very recent cut on his shoulder had been stitched up with purple sutures. It was so recent, the skin around it was still stained dark yellow from being cleaned with iodine. Several of the older scars were jagged, obviously stitched up by someone who had no idea what they were doing. The main scars were bordered by unevenly-spaced, small, circular scars from where the sutures had been. Maddie had the sudden mental image of Phantom stitching himself up and was glad that he now had someone with medical knowledge. He was littered with old burns, most likely from the ecto-plasma attacks most ghosts seemed to have. He shifted under their scrutiny before gingerly peeling the rest of the jumpsuit off over his mangled leg, wincing. It was bleeding freely now, dripping ectoplasm all over the table and floor. </p><p>Maddie left the room to fetch medical supplies.</p><p>“Mind answering a few questions? We don’t really know what we’re doing,” Jack admitted.</p><p>Phantom crossed his arms, a mix of petulance and self-consciousness. “Yeah, because you only know how to hurt ghosts,” he grumbled, sounding more and more like a cranky, sleep-deprived teenager. </p><p>“But we’re trying,” Jack pointed out, holding a towel against his leg to stop the bleeding. “We want to learn. Besides, literally everything we think we know about ecto-entities doesn’t apply to you. We don’t want to do more damage by accident.”</p><p>“I guess just treat me like I’m human? It’s worked so far. I still have a heartbeat and I breathe. And you’ve seen me drink water.”</p><p>“Really?”</p><p>“Look, I don’t fully understand what I am. I’m not a very common type of ghost. I’m essentially…” He paused for so long that Jack didn’t think he would finish. “I’m only half ghost. I’ve only met two others like me. One was a lot less stable. She was younger and artificially created. The other is way older and stronger and can kick my as-butt six ways to Sunday,” He corrected as Maddie reentered the room.</p><p>“Artificially created?” Maddie asked.</p><p>“Yeah. The crazy fruit loop created the younger one, trying to recreate me, but it didn’t work,” Danny admitted. “Me and the first guy were accidents. We’re freaks of nature.”<br/>
Jack’s face darkened. “Phantom. I don’t know who told you that, but you are not a freak. Understand? Whoever says otherwise is a narrow-minded idiot.”</p><p>Danny nodded. He decided not to bring up ‘putrid protoplasmic imitation of human consciousness’.</p><p>“Is the younger ghost okay?”</p><p>“I don’t really know. We fell out of touch when she went into hiding. I hope so.”</p><p>“But you and the other hybrid were flukes? Could it have had something to do with how you passed?” She asked, trying to phrase it tactfully.</p><p>“Oh, yeah. It definitely did. I know that much at least.”</p><p>“How? Did you die, I mean.”</p><p>Phantom swallowed. “Lab accident. My parents are scientists. I was playing around with some of their equipment and got exposed to a bunch of ectoplasm right as I got electrocuted. That’s how I got this,” He gestured to the Lichtenburg scars. “Now I’m stuck in some sort of limbo. I’m not truly a human, or a ghost.” While Phantom was distracted, talking, they stopped the bleeding and cleaned his leg. Every so often, he would wince, but never pulled away. </p><p>“That was so irresponsible of your parents!” Maddie exclaimed. In a twisted way, she was relieved it was an accident. There had been all sorts of rumors and theories as to how he died, all disturbing.</p><p>Danny bristled. “It wasn’t their fault! I was messing with their equipment, even though they told me not to and that it wasn’t safe. But I did and I died and now I’m here, and they don’t even know what happened to me!”</p><p>“Okay, okay,” Maddie put her hands up.</p><p>“In the lab when you saved me. You said something about how halflings don’t count as real ghosts?” Jack changed the subject.</p><p>“Halfa,” Danny corrected. “That’s what we’re called.”</p><p>“Okay, we need to get these bones back into place, then we can stitch you up. Would you mind answering a few more questions?”</p><p>“Can I ask a few of my own?” Danny asked.</p><p>“Of course. What do you want to know?”</p><p>“How did you two meet?”</p><p>That wasn’t what they were expecting. But they told the story anyway. They met in college at freshman orientation when Maddie was giving tours. Jack ran into a light post and broke his nose. Maddie walked him to the student health center and Jack, concussed and lacking inhibitions, asked her out.</p><p>Phantom made his leg invisible and intangible, except for the bones, so that they could put them back into place. He was so practiced at this, more than anyone ever should be. </p><p>“In the lab, I was trying to make a chemical that rendered ghosts unconscious. It didn’t really work, but we think it has a numbing effect. It doesn’t contain any Blood Blossoms. Can we try it? This is going to really hurt otherwise.”</p><p>Phantom agreed reluctantly and Jack poured a light blue gel over his leg. Within a few minutes, the ache subsided a bit, and his leg felt tingly. Maddie began the delicate process of forcing bones back into place.</p><p>It still hurt. Danny gritted his teeth, bit his lip, anything to keep from making noise. </p><p>“I know, I know. I’m so sorry, hun,” Maddie soothed. It reminded Danny of when he was a kid with skinned knees.</p><p>He cried out when he felt bones grinding against each other and reached for Jack’s hand, squeezing it tight enough to hurt.</p><p>“Alright, done. Jack, darling, will you do the stitches while I tape his fingers?”</p><p>The stitches didn’t hurt as bad. Whatever was in that gel seemed to mostly work on numbing the skin. Too bad the numbing hadn’t gone any deeper. Maddie taped his broken fingers together while Jack stitched up his leg and put a makeshift splint out of cardboard and kitchen towels on it.</p><p>“Alright. I think you’re done. You did great, kid.”</p><p>Phantom exhaled shakily, bracing himself on his arms on either side of his legs. “Thank you. I don’t know what else I would’ve done.”</p><p>“Could the same person who stitched you up have helped you again?”</p><p>Phantom shook his head. “Out of town for the weekend.”</p><p>“I’m glad you called us.” Maddie couldn’t imagine Phantom being out in the rain all night until someone found him in the morning. Trapped, like an animal. The GiW could’ve come and taken him away or destroyed him. Red Huntress could’ve broken their truce. No. Maddie and Jack wouldn’t let that happen. Maddie realized she didn’t trust anyone to look out for Phantom except for herself and Jack. Maybe Jazz. Danny, of course, was entirely too young to take care of himself, much less the ghost boy he had befriended. Maddie didn’t know anything about his friend who gave him stitches, other than they were most likely a medical doctor. “Would it be okay with you if we took x-rays of your leg to make sure everything looks okay?” His invisibility wouldn’t necessarily reveal certain damage to the bones.</p><p>“I guess so. I didn’t even know you guys had an x-ray machine.” They assisted him across the lab and onto a different table. He laid down on his back and let them position his ankle. The machine whirred and beeped, and the image began loading on the computer screen. Danny sat up. The radiograph was fuzzy and distorted, and too dark. You could visualize some of the denser parts of the bone, but no real detail. It looked like the first x-rays Dr. Barton took. She had to adjust settings a bit to get a usable image. “Oh, you have to turn the kVp way down. Sorry, I forgot to mention that.” </p><p>They both gave him an odd look but obliged. He laid back down, and Jack straightened out his ankle. “After this, we’ll take a view from the side.” The new images were much clearer than the first, and dark lines in the tibia and fibula revealed where the trap had broken both bones, crushing them inwards. The bones were, however, realigned. Assuming they stayed that way, Phantom’s leg should heal. A bone callus from a healed break was visible slightly higher up on the tibia. Jack wished they had the ability to do surgery. It’d heal better with a plate and some screws, and a real cast.</p><p>“So, where did your obsession with ghosts come from?” He asked.</p><p>“Family tradition. Fentons come from a long line of ghost hunters. Once I met Maddie, we started focusing a bit more on the research and ecto-ology side of ghosts.”</p><p>“I was curious, and had the scientific background to get answers,” Maddie added. “I was getting my second PhD in Analytical Chemistry. I already had a PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology.”</p><p>“We should have some crutches upstairs somewhere. I’ll run and grab them. Any idea how long it’ll take to heal?” Jack asked.</p><p>“Thanks.” He looked at his leg, bending it at the knee. “Maybe 2 weeks, if I rest it and don’t reinjure it.” So, closer to three weeks, but they didn’t need to worry about that. It would heal. Even if the bones got knocked out of place, he could put them back. It’d be a piece of cake. Probably.</p><p>Jack left the room and Danny yawned.</p><p>“Phantom, it’s late. It’s still raining, and you’re hurt and concussed. Would you be willing to stay the night? We can keep you safe.”</p><p>“Sure,” he agreed easily, calmer and lacking his usual suspicion. “I’m exhausted. You don’t have to wake me up every few hours, do you? I could really use a good night’s sleep for once.”</p><p>Maddie was relieved he didn’t argue. “No, I think your concussion is relatively minor. I think sleep will help you more than anything.”</p><p>Jack returned with crutches and together, they helped Phantom up the stairs, followed by Cujo. Maddie brought him a clean pair of pjs from Danny’s room and enough blankets and pillows to sleep comfortably on the couch.</p><p>Maddie woke up early the next morning to check on him ghost and fix breakfast. She was a bit surprised to see him still sound asleep on the couch, crutches on the floor next to him. Honestly, she had expected him to disappear in the night. But there he was, curled up on his side, wrapped in blankets and snoring softly. Only his white hair showed, spiky and disheveled. His injured leg was propped up on a pillow. Cujo was curled up in his arms, also asleep.</p><p>About an hour later, Jack and Maddie were enjoying pancakes. Phantom hobbled in on the crutches, barefoot, hair mussed and wearing Danny’s space print pajamas, which fit him perfectly. He rubbed his eyes and yawned.</p><p>“Good morning, Sleeping Beauty.”</p><p>“Glmbladerk. Coffee first.” </p><p>“Absolutely not. You are entirely too young.”</p><p>“Oh, come on!” He whined. “I saved the world. I deserve a cup of coffee.”</p><p>“Alright, fine. You can have one cup of coffee.”</p><p>“Yes!” He stumbled over to the cabinet with cups and pulled out his NASA mug.</p><p>“I wouldn’t use that one if I were you. Danny is very particular about his NASA mug.”</p><p>Danny froze. He was much more awake as he looked at the mug in question. He panicked. “Danny said I could.”</p><p>“When?”</p><p>“I came over for breakfast once. You were out of town, so it was safe. Hey, can I have some pancakes?” He changed the subject.</p><p>“Help yourself,” Jack gestured to the table.</p><p>Phantom put three pancakes on his plate before covering them in peanut butter and maple syrup. Strange. That was precisely how Danny fixed his.</p><p>Throughout breakfast, they asked Phantom more questions, answering his own in return.</p><p>“Why did you think all ghosts were evil?”</p><p>“That’s all we knew. We only encountered violent ghosts.”</p><p>“Maybe because, from what I’ve seen, you guys attack first. But,” he hesitated. “Then what changed your mind about all ghosts being protoplasmic scum with no real emotions and evil, mindless, manipulative abominations who couldn’t feel pain?”</p><p>Maddie winced slightly as he repeated the words she so often said in anger and ignorance. “You did. Your humanity. Our bias kept us from seeing you, but you kept helping us, despite us giving you every reason not to. We’re scientists, first and foremost. Science is about constantly learning. Your behavior didn’t support widely accepted theories, so we developed new hypotheses.”</p><p>“Oh.”</p><p>“Why were you caught stealing money and jewelry?”</p><p>“That wasn’t me. Well, it kinda was. I was being mind-controlled and forced to. I didn’t want to, I promise. I ended up overthrowing his control and stopping him.” He slipped Cujo a bite of ecto-contaminated pancake.</p><p>After breakfast, they put Cujo back into the Ghost Zone. Danny changed back onto his jumpsuit, and Maddie showed him how to wrap his knuckles to prevent injury.</p><p>“I appreciate your help. I really, really do. But I should get going.”</p><p>“Here,” Maddie handed him a phone. “We got you a burner phone. You can call us next time you need help. It’s got tracking software installed so we can find you. And you’re welcome here anytime. We mean it.”</p><p>“Thanks.”</p><p>“Take care of yourself now,” Jack said, mock sternly.</p><p>“You too. I’m tired of running into burning buildings.”</p><p>Impulsively, Maddie pulled Phantom into a hug. “Thank you,” She whispered in his ear. “For everything.”</p><p>Danny stiffened in surprise, but quickly relaxed and hugged her back. Jack, never one to be left out of hugs, wrapped his arms around them, lifting them both up.</p><p>“Oh! Um…” Danny patted Jack on the back. “Mmmkay. Love you too.”</p><p>After they let go of each other, Danny flew away, legs turning into a spectral tail. Jack and Maddie watched from the porch.</p><p>“Poor kid.”</p><p>“I know. He’s in way over his head.”  </p><p>“Should we tell him we know?” Jack asked.</p><p>“Nah. He’ll tell us when he’s ready. The most important thing we can do to help is keep him safe, and make sure Danny knows we love and support him no matter what.”</p><p>Danny texted Tucker on his regular phone, asking him to meet him at the park to disable the tracker. He couldn’t risk them finding out like this. Not yet. But now that they no longer wanted to vivisect him, he would tell them. Sooner, rather than later.</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>